Outsiders Anonymous hosts Recovery on Plaza in support of recovery

By Yaa Antwi

Blog Content Contributor

SAN MARCOS — Outsiders Anonymous hosts Recovery on the Plaza to bring the San Marcos community together in support of those in recovery.

On Sept. 30, Outsiders Anonymous, a non-profit organization, hosted Recovery on the Plaza, filled with live music, free food and many community organizations attended in support of sobriety. Artists, such as Vance Logins, Grace the Empress, and Marco Felipe Band made guest appearances to extend support to the non-profit organization.

Despite their role in creating a welcoming community for those from all walks of life, Outsiders Anonymous also runs a free gym that offers fitness classes, spartan race training and more. Fitness is a beneficial staple for those in recovery, including for the staff members, Adam Holt, and Kelsey Bolfing.

“Fitness was a really big part of my journey towards recovery,” Holt said. “I also had the opportunity to be involved in research actually showing how psychical activity helps people stay sober by allowing them to feel emotions early in recovery.”

The organization started in 2017 and morphed into being the only free gym in Texas, and they’re currently expanding into peer counseling. The event was inspired to remind those in recovery that the road to sobriety can involve fun while connecting with a community.

“You go to meetings, you meet with your sponsor, so it’s always trying to say sober,” Holt said. “And you forget to have fun, so we wanted to do this once a year to remind people to have fun and so we wanted to create an opportunity in San Marcos to help people learn what there is to do for recovery.”

Outsiders Anonymous has provided research to bring more awareness to those in recovery and to help educate the public. Recovery on the Plaza is an event made to remind many people that they’re not alone in their struggles and that there are resources to help assist them on the road to sobriety.

“I went into this work the whole time realizing I already won, because I found community,” Bolfing said. “That’s what I said in the job interview, and we meshed so well and now I get to help those in recovery while also getting to help myself through recovery.”

As people move through recovery, many people adjust from their group of friends to their jobs, and it can make the road to recovery feel isolating. Outsiders Anonymous remind people that the road they travel is one that can be filled with hope and connection to many people who are enduring the same battles.

“The hardest part about getting sober is actually changing your entire community,” Bolfing said. “A lot of times people don’t get to do things because they’re going to a bar and so with Outsiders Anonymous, it’s like you’re finding a place where you can go as a group with other people who are in the same place as you and it’s so valuable.”

Due to the common feeling of isolation, the road to recovery can feel painful, however, recovery does not need to be done alone. Being a part of a community can help remind people that their struggles are not battles they must fight alone and Outsiders Anonymous opens their arms in hopes that people are aware that there is a community for them.

“I hope what people take away from this is that recovery can be fun,” Bolfing said. “You don’t need to hurt it away or isolate yourself. You can still be a part of a community that is lively and fun and energetic.”

For more information on Outsiders Anonymous visit https://www.outsidersanonymous.org/